Of Cursed Pirates, Ghosts, and Age Old Rivalries
by phantomchica
Summary: When Christine is kidnapped and kept hostage aboard the Black Pearl, Raoul searches out the man who supposedly is indebted to the captain- the Phantom of the Opera. The two are forced to work together in order to save Christine. Rating may go up.
1. Kidnapped

**A/N: Bear with me, folks. I haven't watched Pirates of the Caribbean in ages.**

**Note: Gustave, in my story, is NOT Erik's! I am highly against LND!**

* * *

It was late, nearly midnight. The date was April 2nd, 1873. Christine Daae sat at her desk in her music room, writing a letter to her friend, Meg.

_Meg,_

_I'm happy for you and Thomas! Ever since you laid eyes on him, they've never left, and it's good to know you've found a lover. _

_Raoul and I are well. Our son, Gustave, is well also. Still, he's only three, but his musical skills are becoming evident. Just the other day, he was plunking out "Mary Had A Little Lamb" on my piano! He is such a sweetheart, and guess what his first word was, just last week? "Mama", and soon after, "Papa". He's very fond of Raoul and I, and especially his nurse, Marie. _

_Take care, ma amie,_

_Christine_

Christine set her pen down, reading over the letter, then slipping it into an envelope and sealing it. She set the letter next to her pen, planning to mail it the next day.

Christine stood up from the desk, walking out the door and across the hall to her bedroom. Inside, she selected a nightgown, changed into it, and lay down in bed. On business nights like tonight, Raoul was up a bit late, so she fell asleep without his comforting embrace. Luckily, these nights weren't often.

Christine sighed, gazing out the window at the full moon in the sky. Immediately, a tapping noise was heard on the window.

Christine sat up. There it was again!

With a sigh, Christine walked over to the window, opened it, and peered into the lawn below.

Nothing.

A knock came to the door.

"Poppet… where are you, poppet?"

Christine's hand flew to her mouth.

"Raoul?" she managed?"

"No, poppet…"

Christine's eyes went wide. Her hand flew to a small chain she'd worn around her neck since she was thirteen.

A pirate medallion.

"_Come on, Christine!" Meg shouted. "I found a door in the wall!"_

_Little Christine walked up to her friend, peering inside. "We shouldn't go in there."_

"_Why not?" Meg asked._

"_Do you want to provoke the Opera Ghost?"_

_Meg sighed. "Fine." Her friend skipped away. "Come on! Maman will have our heads if we're late again!"_

_As Meg left, curiosity got the best of Christine, and soon she was in a pitch black hallway. She walked a few steps before a gloved hand reached out and touched her shoulder._

_Gasping, she turned around. It was dark, so she couldn't see whoever was behind her._

_A cold gust of wind blew around her. Before she could say a word, a lit torch appeared by the entrance, and whoever had been there was gone._

"_Christine?" Meg's voice asked._

_Christine sighed. "I'm coming."_

_As she made her way toward the door, Christine stepped on something; not the ground, for it clinked beneath her foot._

_Stepping aside, she gasped._

_Where her foot had been was a gold pirate medallion._

Christine shuddered at the memory. Without hesitation, Christine ran to the closet, stepping inside. Her leg brushed against something cold, something metal.

Raoul's sword!

Silently, Christine unsheathed the sword, keeping it ready, if the pirates came to the closet.

Christine heard the door open with a squeak. Through a crack in the closet, she could see two men enter the room, one tall and dangerously thin, the other short and pudgy.

"Poppet…" the short one, whose name was Pintel, said. "We know you're in here, poppet…"

The tall one, a pirate named Ragetti, pointed at the closet. Christine gulped silently in fear as the two pirates walked toward the door of the closet.

Pintel threw the door open.

"Ello, poppet," he said with a sly smile.

Christine raised the sword with weak bravado.

"No need to be threatening, poppet," Pintel chuckled, grabbing the sword and tossing it aside with ease.

"Parlay," Christine said suddenly.

"Eh?"

"Parlay. You must take me to your captain at once."

Pintel grinned knowingly. "Alright, then. Come on, Ragetti, the lady wants to see the captain."

Ragetti grinned as well, even though he hardly had a clue what was going on. As far as he was concerned, he thought the plan _was _to take her to the captain, yet he played along nonetheless.

"Wait," she said. "Where's my husband?"

"You mean the Vicomte?" Pintel said. "We took care of him."

Christine's eyes welled with tears as she bit her lip, trying not to scream.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded.

"Nothing too drastic," Ragetti assured her, earning himself a slap on the arm from Pintel. "We didn't kill him. He's just unconscious."

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Pintel muttered, grabbing Christine by the arm. He threw a piece of parchment to her bed, grinning wickedly.

The two pirates dragged her out of her room, down the stairs, and toward the entryway, when she turned and screamed her husband's name.

Marie, Gustave's nurse, ran down the stairs after Christine.

"Unhand the Vicomtess!" she demanded.

"Tell Raoul that I love him," Christine pleaded. "And take care of Gustave!"

With that, the Vicomtess de Chagny was dragged into the night.

* * *

Hours later, the Vicomte, Raoul de Chagny, woke up, still fully dressed, and in his study. His head hurt something fierce, and as he felt across the back of his head, he felt a small bump.

What the…?

"Monsieur!" Marie screamed. "Monsieur, quick!"

Raoul ran out of his study. "What is it?"

"It's the Vicomtess!" Marie said, panting. "Two men- I swear to the good lord, two _pirates_- just left with her!"

"_NO_!" Raoul ran to the bedroom, hoping that Marie was lying, that it was just a trick, but he was only proved wrong by the empty bed and the sword- _his _sword; apparently Christine had put up a fight- on the floor.

A piece of paper on the bed caught his eye. Raoul strode over to the bed, reading the note once, twice, three times.

_Vicomte,_

_Forgive me for keeping your wife hostage, but it was entirely necessary. If you ever want to see her again, show this note to a Mr. Destler, whom you may recall as the, er, what do ye call him? Opera Ghost?_

Raoul's fist clenched. The Phantom.

_No, he ain't behind this, if that's what ye'r thinking. If Destler's reading this, we have a score to settle, my boy. It'd be a shame for Miss Daae to have to pay the price._

_My regards to ye both,_

_Captain Hector Barbossa_

Barbossa… Raoul had heard the name before. Notorious pirate, fabled to be the captain of the Black Pearl.

Raoul attached his sword to his belt, ran out of the house, and jumped onto his horse, riding into the night.

He needed to find the Phantom. And fast.


	2. Pasts, Plans, and Memories

The two pirates dragged the Vicomtess aboard the Black Pearl, a mighty ship, whose black sails gave off an eerie appearance. The gag that had been tied around Christine's mouth was removed, allowing her to breathe easier. A man in mock captain clothing walked up to her, bowing his head to kiss her hand, which she pulled away, glaring at him.

The man smiled wickedly, showing his crooked and yellowing teeth. "Pardon me, miss. Captain Hector Barbossa, at your service." The captain bowed.

"What do you want with me, _Captain_?" Christine demanded.

"You, my dear, are bait," he said. "I need to capture and kill a certain friend of yours."

"What friend?" she asked, her throat tightening in fear.

Barbossa's evil grin grew. "You may remember him as the Opera Ghost, the Angel of Music, my, that man's gone through a good many titles in his entire life!"

Christine gasped. "We- we're not friends."

"Maybe so, but he cares about you, don't he?" he asked. Reluctantly, Christine nodded.

"How do you know him?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"Come with me, little miss," he said. "I'll tell ye in my cabin."

"I don't trust you," she said.

"Do ye want to hear the story or not?"

With a sigh, Christine followed the captain. Barbossa sat at his desk, gesturing for her to sit at the chair across from him. Christine stayed where she was. With a sigh, Barbossa continued.

"His father and I were old rivals, you might say," Barbossa recalled. "Captain Destler was always after whatever I decided to plunder. He gave up pirating when he met Annalisa, and he paid for all of it by dying before his son was born."

"The Phantom," she muttered. "His father was a pirate?"

"Famous one, too," Barbossa said. "His son, a little boy named Erik, is just like him. Demanding, ill tempered, but a genius."

"Erik," she mused. "His name is Erik." She glared at Barbossa once more. "And where do I come in?"

"Easy," Barbossa said, his wicked grin returning. "I threaten to slit your pretty neck, and your little friend comes to rescue ye. I pretend to let ye go, and kill him. If you're lucky, I will let ye go. If not… you'll follow your little friend."

Christine tried desperately not to show her fear. "What did he ever do to you?"

"He's a Destler, first of all," Barbossa said. "He could become a captain as well as his father, so we'd best get rid of him. Second of all, we'd be doing the French government some good to kill the Opera Ghost, and third most, why do ye care?"

The question took Christine by surprise. "Because this entire plan involves me."

Barbossa nodded disbelievingly.

"Captain," Ragetti said, opening the door. "We've got company."

"It's been a long time, Hector," a female voice said. A woman with long, dirty blond hair, suntanned skin, deep brown eyes, wearing tan breeches, a swordsman's shirt, and a dark blue vest, with a sword in her belt, entered the room.

"Elizabeth Turner," Barbossa marveled. "What are ye doing here?"

"I heard you were kidnapping again and decided to stop by," Elizabeth said. She noticed Christine who was standing across from where Barbossa sat. "And a good thing I did, too. I didn't trust you when you kidnapped me years ago, and I'm not going to trust you with this girl either. What's your name?"

"Christine de Chagny," she said. Elizabeth.

"The Vicomte's wife?" she asked. Christine nodded.

"Why do you need her?" Elizabeth asked Barbossa. Barbossa relayed the same plan to Elizabeth, who nodded.

"Come with me, Mrs. de Chagny," Elizabeth said, gesturing to the door. Christine walked out, and Elizabeth soon was leading her to a rather nice cabin below decks.

"Listen," she said, closing the door of the cabin behind them. "I'm going to help you escape, but you've got to keep quiet about that."

"Of course," Christine said.

"Good. Now, I'm going to try and contact my own husband, Will. He's the captain of the Flying Dutchman, but he'll want to help. Yes, the Flying Dutchman. That's a story for another time, miss. I would contact my other, ah, _friend_, because he's proven helpful so far, but he and Hector hate each other's guts, so that would be less than helpful."

"My husband, Raoul," Christine said. "He's going to go crazy once he sees that I'm gone."

"I'll tell Will to send word to the Vicomte that you're safe," Elizabeth said. "And this Opera Ghost, whoever Hector was talking about, so none of them get involved."

"Thank you so much," she said.

"It's nothing," Elizabeth said. "I'm glad to help."

* * *

Raoul thought of every possible place the Phantom could be. His first bet was the Paris Opera House, but that had closed after the fire. Checking the opera house nonetheless, Raoul ran into a breathless Meg Giry.

"Meg?" he asked.

"Raoul? Is that you?" Meg sighed. "It's good to see a familiar face."

"You, too." Raoul paused. "You wouldn't happen to know where the Phantom is, would you?"

"Actually, I do." Raoul's face brightened. "Why do you ask?"

"Christine's in trouble." Raoul handed Meg the note, which she gasped reading.

"I've heard the name Barbossa before," Meg said. "Notorious pirate. Erik hates him."

"The Phantom?"

"Yes."

"Where is he?" Raoul asked.

"In his lair," Meg said. "I know a quicker and easier way down. Maman and I have been using it to get down there since the fire. After the mob left, Erik had very little left. A mask, wig, a bed, and his organ, a few lasso's, but not much else. So we've been helping." Meg walked over to a panel in a wall on the side of the lobby's staircase. A passage way opened up, and soon the two were falling fast, downward, then landed on something soft.

"We're underneath the stage," Meg said. "Erik used a trapdoor above us to escape the chandelier in Don Juan. Maman and I use the staircase to walk a ways toward the stage, then it slides onto the pillows under the trapdoor. Maman usually takes the stairs, but this is much faster."

Before he knew it, the gate to the Phantom's lair was coming into view.

"Don't let him see you," Meg whispered. "He still hates you for leaving with Christine." She pointed at an outcropping of stone beside the gate. "Hide back there. Once the gate rises, follow me."

Raoul nodded, dodging behind the large rock.

"Erik?" Meg called. "Are you there?"

"Yes, Meg." The cursed voice brought back bad memories. Yet it had a different, sadder tone to it. Losing Christine had seriously affected him.

The gate slowly began to rise. Meg shot a glance at Raoul, who joined her in entering the lair.

"You!" Erik seethed, spotting Raoul.

"I didn't come here to kill you, Destler," Raoul said, trying to maintain a calm disposition. "I need your help."

"Why should I help you?" he asked.

"Christine's in danger."


	3. Maps, Ships, and Plots Foiled

That stopped Erik cold. "Danger?"

Silently, Raoul handed Erik the note. Erik read each word slowly and carefully, his eyes hovering over '_Barbossa'_.

Erik let out a low growl. "Of course he'd be behind this," Erik muttered. He walked into one of his back rooms. Meg shrugged, following him. When neither came back out, Raoul followed them both.

Erik was standing at his desk, rummaging through a large wooden trunk. The name "Armadeus Destler" was engraved on the front, and a pirate symbol, a gleaming gold skull and crossbones, lay underneath the name.

"My father was a pirate," Erik explained. "He died before I was born, but I managed to recover most of his belongings. This," he said, gesturing at the trunk, "contains most of his pirating possessions. Maps, compasses, spyglasses, and other similar things."

"With the map," Meg said, "we can try and figure out where the Black Pearl is going."

"We?" Erik asked.

Meg rolled her eyes. "Of course. You two are going to find yourselves a ship, but what about a crew? If you let _me _come along, I can get the old stagehands to work for you."

"And how exactly will you manage to accomplish that?"

"I have my ways, monsieurs."

Raoul shrugged. "It couldn't hurt."

With a sigh, Erik agreed.

"Just keep in mind how dangerous this will be, little Giry," Erik said. "This is not fun, nor is it a game. We're dealing with pirates here, and some of the most notorious, and they are notorious for their plunders and murders. Barbossa doesn't spare lives if your simply a pretty face. You have to be of some worth to him. Though we do have the upper hand here; I know his plan."

"You do?" Raoul asked.

"It was simple," he said. "He's kidnapped Christine, and expects me to save her. Christine is being used as bait. When I come to rescue her, he plans to kill all of us."

Meg shuddered. "But we can't let Barbossa keep her there any longer. He'll _kill _her."

Erik nodded. "I'm afraid so. That's why I've got this." Erik opened the trunk, pulling out a particular map.

"The Caribbean?" Meg asked.

"He's most notoriously known there," Erik answered. "If I'm correct-"

"You usually are," Meg noted.

Erik smirked. "If I'm correct, they're sailing to the Isla de la Muerta. Long ago, when the crew of the Pearl was cursed with immortality, they took the last living pirate there and were freed from the curse by his blood. That island has been a sort of headquarters for them since, that and Shipwreck Cove, so we'll try both. They'll need to make port somewhere, and one stop will definitely be Tortuga. If we time everything right, we'll dock at Tortuga right around when they do, so we can get more information, locate Christine, and other things. We wouldn't be able to save her just yet, though. I have a plan for that."

Raoul nodded. "One problem. Where in the world are we getting a ship?"

Erik grinned. "Have you forgotten that my father was a pirate, de Chagny?"

* * *

"This is insane," Meg whispered as the three of them snuck into the harbor of Wimereux, France. Their objective; steal a ship.

Meg had kept her promise, and had rallied up the unemployed stagehands from the opera house, who were eager for some sort of job, even if they worked for the Opera Ghost. In return, she was the second mate of Erik's crew. Reluctantly, Erik had given Raoul the position of first mate.

"Do you want to save her or not?" Erik hissed, making sure the coast was clear. He gestured for the rest to board his ship of choice, the _Vengeance_, a large, sturdy ship. Erik didn't know who it belonged to, but he'd most likely figure that out soon, when the owners watched them sail away.

Erik and Raoul kept guard as the stagehands and Meg boarded the _Vengeance_. After all had boarded, the two men followed.

Inside the captain's cabin, Erik laid out his father's map, studying it. Two of the stagehands, brothers Marcus and Levi, followed, along with Raoul. Meg and the others readied the ship for sailing.

"That's a Caribbean map," Marcus said. "We're going to the Caribbean?"

"What _did _the little Giry tell you?" Erik asked.

"That you needed a crew, and Mrs. De Chagny was in danger," Levi answered.

Erik nodded. "Are any of you familiar with Captain Barbossa?"

* * *

Elizabeth paced on the bow of the _Black Pearl_, waiting. She had sent word to the _Dutchman _via Will's father, Bootstrap Bill, another crewman of Will's ship, of Mrs. de Chagny's kidnapping, and her plan to help the woman escape. Any time now, a small rowboat with a crew member inside would appear.

"What are ye doing, Mrs. Turner?" Barbossa asked, walking up to her, settling to lean against the rail. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Nothing," she said, searching again for a rowboat.

"I know of ye'r plans to help our little friend," he said. "And let me tell ye now, none are going to work all that easily."

"Oh?" she said, pretending to be surprised. "Remember, Hector, I still have the title of pirate king, and my husband is the captain of the _Flying Dutchman_. That gives me quite a bit of power, don't you think?"

Barbossa nodded solemnly. "How about we have a deal. As soon as Destler's son shows up to save her, I let her free, and kill the rest."

"No," she said. "I'm going to help her escape now before you do anything rash. And there's nothing you can do about it."

Barbossa smirked. "Isn't there?"

Two burly pirates appeared behind several crates of water, grabbing Elizabeth's wrists and holding them behind her back. Elizabeth glared.

"Take her to the brig," Barbossa ordered. "I'll tell the Vicomtess that her little alias has been conquered."

Elizabeth struggled against the pirates. "You'll regret not letting her go early on," she hissed. "Destler is a dangerous man. He was the Opera Ghost; don't you know how many people he's killed? How far he'd go for her safety?"

Barbossa ignored the pirate king as the crewmen dragged her to the brig. With a smirk of contempt, the captain walked below decks, knocking on the Vicomtess' door.

"Yes?" she answered, her voice thick from crying. Barbossa felt a small wave of pity. The poor girl. But the pity disappeared as soon as it came, and Barbossa walked through the door.

"You're little plan of escape has been foiled, my dear," he said simply.

"What?" she asked. "Oh no…"

Barbossa gave her a wicked smile. "And before you know it, your precious husband and your little ghost friend will come to rescue you! And to think, they'll all be dead before you know it."

"You're lying!" Christine shouted. "Elizabeth promised…"

Barbossa walked out the door, a sneer spread across his face. As soon as the door shut, Christine crumpled to the floor, dissolving into tears.

_Why did he have to fall in love with me?_


	4. Stories Told and Plans Revived

Days of sailing, and countless charting on Erik's behalf, passed in the mere blink of an eye. The _Black Pearl _had not been sighted, yet they were nearing a certain destination of theirs; Tortuga.

Raoul, as first mate, had been overseeing the rest of the crew with Meg, who introduced him to each and every stagehand aboard. Soon he'd learned nearly every name, had helped at the helm, the rigging, and had taught half the stagehands to fight with a sword and gun.

This particular day was good for sailing. The sky was a perfect, cloudless blue, and yet an air of worry hung about the ship; they were set on finding and rescuing Christine, and so far, the lookout wasn't bright.

Meg was as happy-go-lucky as ever. Trotting up to Raoul, she said, "Erik needs to talk to you."

Raoul was still shocked from getting along with the Phantom. Only three years earlier, the two were trying to kill each other, and now they were working together, as a team. It was a surprising change for both parties, and essentially awkward since both loved the same woman still.

Raoul walked silently into the captain's cabin, wondering what the captain was up to now. Erik sat at his desk, tracing lines on a map. He looked up, nodded, and looked back down at the map.

"Have a seat, de Chagny," Erik said. Raoul pulled one of the armchairs in front of the desk, his eyes following the lines and routes of the map.

"I have a basic idea now of the_ Black Pearl's _entire course. She'll be docking in Tortuga around the same time we do, which gives us time to find out Christine's whereabouts, if anyone's been involved in rescue plans aboard the ship, and any other important detail. I say rescue plans," Erik explained, "because some pirates will pity her and attempt to help her."

Raoul nodded. "Do you know when we'll arrive in Tortuga?"

"A day, at most," Erik said, "maybe even a few hours."

"Good," Raoul said. He eyed the masked captain warily, contemplating.

"Yes?"

"You still love her." It wasn't a question.

Erik looked away sadly, tears of remorse and pain filling his eyes. "Of course I do. She was, still _is_, my reason for everything; my reason to sing, my reason to compose, which explains the intimacy in _Don Juan_, my reason to live. After she left…" Here the captain paused, tears spilling under his mask. "I considered suicide. There was nothing left for me in this world. She was gone… if it weren't for Antoinette and her daughter, I wouldn't be here right now."

Raoul was silent for some time, pondering the Phantom's words. "Why? Why did you love her?"

Erik was shocked. "Why?" he asked in return. _Of course the Vicomte wouldn't know, _he thought. _Where was he all those years? Not with her, of course. I was._

"Christine…" He said her name delicately, as if it might break on his tongue. "Ever since she first moved into the opera dormitories, I had been watching over her, tutoring her as the Angel of Music. Of course, I'm no angel, as she knows now."

"Why did you tell her that you were, then?" Raoul asked.

Erik raised an eyebrow. "Do you honestly believe that if I walked up to her with a mask on my face and tried to talk to her, she would respond? Not run away, frightened?"

When Raoul didn't answer, Erik nodded. "Exactly. Everything I did was done for a reason, Vicomte. So I became her angel. I taught her to sing, I comforted her after her father's death, I was always around to cheer her up or sing her lullabies at night." The captain's eyes grew distance, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

"And then you came…" The smile disappeared, melting into a frown. "She ran into your arms like a scared child after she saw my face. I was furious. Where had you been while she was mourning her father? Not with her. Where were you when she needed a companion, and the little Giry was running errands for her mother? Not with her. Where were you when she needed someone to comfort her, protect her?" Erik clutched the side of the desk angrily, fuming. "Not with her."

Raoul's eyes had widened considerably during his rant.

"It was all because of my face," he continued with a sigh. "If I hadn't a deformity, would I have needed to lie to her to earn her love? Of course not."

Raoul felt a surge of pity for the man, remembering the tale Madame Giry had told him about how she'd found him.

"Regardless," Erik said, the gloomy expression fading, "I was still determined to make her mine. That's where the Red Death and _Don Juan Triumphant _came in."

"You didn't plan on her taking off the mask," Raoul said.

Erik nodded. "That, she did on her own accord. Or, should I say," here he glared at Raoul, "_your _plan."

Raoul nodded reluctantly. "Don't look at me like that- I didn't know it would turn out this way."

Erik shook his head. "No, you didn't." He sat back down at the desk, and only then did Raoul realize that the two men had stood up somewhere during the conversation.

"Well," Erik said, picking up a pen to write on the map with. "now you do."

Raoul swallowed, walking toward the door. As he left, he could've sworn he heard the captain say, and in the saddest tone he'd ever hear in his life, "Now you know what you've done to me."

* * *

Christine sat in her cabin, her dressing gown wrinkled, yet still surprisingly clean, given the circumstances she was in, her hair still in a loose bun, curls spewing out to frame her face, which was, at the moment, pale with fright. Pintel, one of the men who'd kidnapped her, came down to tell her that the Pearl had docked in Tortuga. The pirate crew would be ashore the rest of the day, save for Christine in her cabin, and Elizabeth in the brig.

"Ragetti and I," Pintel had said, "we feel sort of bad for you. And since we ain't immortal anymore, we best be protecting our immortal souls. So… we figured we'd help ye escape, along with the pirate king."

Christine's eyes widened. "Really?"

Pintel nodded. "While we're here, we'll be helping Mrs. Turner escape the brig, then commandeer another ship for the four of us. Ye'll be in Paris in a week's time, milady."

Christine couldn't believe her ears. "But what about Erik Destler? My husband?"

Pintel frowned. "We'll do our best to keep 'em safe."

Christine eased her back along the wall with a sigh as the pirate left.

"Oh, dear Lord," Christine whispered. "Please, keep them safe."


End file.
